Disclosed are intermediate transfer members, and more specifically, intermediate transfer members useful in transferring a developed image in an electrostatographic, for example xerographic, including digital, image on image, and the like, machines or apparatuses, and printers, inclusive of office and production printers. In embodiments, there are selected intermediate transfer members comprised of a mixture of a phosphate ester and a polyamideimide (PAI), each of these two components being commercially available. In embodiments thereof, the phosphate ester and PAI may be dispersed in or mixed with a suitable polymer, such as those illustrated herein, like a polyimide or a polycarbonate.
A number of advantages are associated with the intermediate transfer members, such as belts (ITB) of the present disclosure, such as excellent acceptable resistivity, a high modulus, for example 5,000 MPa, such as from about 5,000 to about 7,000 MPa, and which coating mixture after being applied to a substrate, such as a metal substrate, possesses self release characteristics from the metal substrate that is for example, the coating mixture can be easily removed from substrates either automatically or by simple hand peeling; and weldable intermediate transfer belts that may not, but could, have puzzle cut seams, and instead, has a weldable seam, thereby providing a belt that can be manufactured without labor intensive steps, such as manually piecing together the puzzle cut seam with fingers, and without the lengthy high temperature and high humidity conditioning steps.
In a typical electrostatographic reproducing apparatus, such as xerographic copiers, printers, multifunctional machines, and the like a light image of an original to be copied is recorded in the form of an electrostatic latent image upon a photosensitive member or a photoconductor, and the latent image is subsequently rendered visible by the application of electroscopic thermoplastic resin particles and colorant. Generally, the electrostatic latent image is developed by contacting it with a developer mixture comprised of carrier granules having toner particles adhering triboelectrically thereto, or a liquid developer material, which may include a liquid carrier having toner particles dispersed therein. The developer mixture is advanced into contact with the electrostatic latent image, and the toner particles are deposited thereon in image configuration. Subsequently, the developed image is transferred to a document, such as paper and fixed or fused by for example heat and pressure. It is advantageous in some instances to transfer the developed image to a intermediate transfer web, belt or component, and thereafter, transfer with a high, for example about 90 to about 100, transfer efficiency the developed image from the intermediate transfer member to a substrate, like paper, cardboard, transparencies, and the like.
There has been disclosed in several U.S. patents that intermediate transfer members enable acceptable registration of the final color toner image in color systems using synchronous development of one or more component colors, and using one or more transfer stations. However, a disadvantage of using an intermediate transfer member is that a plurality of developed toner transfer operations is utilized thus sometimes causing charge exchange between the toner particles and the transfer member, which ultimately can result in less than complete toner transfer, resulting in low resolution images on the image receiving substrate, like paper, and image deterioration. When the image is in color, the image can additionally suffer from color shifting and color deterioration.
In embodiments, it is desired to provide an intermediate transfer member, which has excellent transfer capabilities; is conductive, and more specifically, has excellent conductivity or resistivity as compared, for example, to an intermediate transfer member where a phosphate ester and a polyamideimide (PAI) is absent; and possesses excellent humidity insensitivity characteristics leading to developed images with minimal resolution issues, and where the mixture of the phosphate ester and the PAI can be easily removed from substrates either automatically or by simple hand peeling. It is also desired to provide a weldable intermediate transfer belt that may not, but could, have puzzle cut seams, and instead, has a weldable seam, thereby providing a belt that can be manufactured without labor intensive steps, such as manually piecing together the puzzle cut seam with fingers, and without the lengthy high temperature and high humidity conditioning steps. It is also desired to provide an intermediate transfer member, which has excellent wear and abrasion resistance, and more specifically, has excellent mechanical properties as compared, for example, to an intermediate transfer member where a phosphate ester and the polymeric binder are absent.